Geranium plant named ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal  Geranium  plant named ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’, characterized by its upright and rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering habit; light red-colored flowers arranged in rounded umbels held above and beyond the foliage on moderately strong peduncles; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Fisum Dark Salmon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Zonal Geraniums with uniform plant habit and interesting flower and foliage colors.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2000 of two unnamed proprietary selections of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. The cultivar Fisum Dark Salmon was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2002 has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’ as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Zonal Geranium cultivars (including the parental selections):

-   -   1. Upright and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching and flowering habit.     -   4. Light red-colored flowers arranged in rounded umbels held         above and beyond the foliage on moderately strong peduncles.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Meri Orange, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Meri Orange primarily in growth habit as plants of the new Geranium were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Meri Orange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Fisum Dark Salmon have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations, and averaged measurements describe plants grown during the spring in January in 12-cm pots in De Lier, The Netherlands, and grown under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 17 to 20° C., night temperatures ranging from 6 to 14° C., and light levels ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 lux. Plants used for the photograph and the detailed botanical description were about one year old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Fisum Dark     Salmon. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 7 days at 21° C.             Winter: About 10 days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 18 to 22             days at 21° C. Winter: About 26 to 30 days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, freely branching; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright and rounded plant habit;             uniform; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous growth             habit. Freely branching, about six lateral branches develop             without pinching, that is, removal of terminal apices.         -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 5.8 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Texture: Densely             pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong. Color: 143B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 7.6 cm. Width: About 8.5 cm. Shape: Orbicular to             reniform. Apex: Rounded acute. Base: Cordate. Margin:             Crenate; undulate. Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing foliage,             upper surface: 137B. Developing foliage, lower surface:             137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A to 137B;             no distinct zonation pattern. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 137C to 138A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:             143C. Petiole: Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: 143B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Light red-colored, rotate and             semi-double flowers arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels             arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the             foliage on moderately strong peduncles. Flowers face upright             to outwardly. Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent.             Flowers slightly fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; at full flower,             plants have at least about six open and developing umbels             with about 75 flowers per umbel.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden, flowering is continuous from late spring until             fall.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about six days on the plant.         -   Umbel height.—About 7 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Color: Towards the base, 144A to 144B;             towards the apex, 46C to 46D.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About             2.7 cm. Width: About 1.9 cm. Shape: Broadly obovate. Apex:             Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Between N30A to 44B. When opening, lower surface:             43B to 43C. Fully opened, upper surface: 43B; color becoming             closer to between 43B and 44A with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 43C to 43D. Venation, upper and lower             surfaces: Same as petal color.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About three. Length: About 2             cm; irregular in size. Width: About 1.2 cm; irregular in             size. Shape: Variable, narrowly obovate to irregular             oblanceolate. Apex: Mostly rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Between N30A             and 44B. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 43B.             Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as petaloid color.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,             immature and mature, upper surface: 144B. Color, immature             and mature, lower surface: 144B; towards the base, 178B.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 13.3 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Angle: About 15° from vertical. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A to 146B.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3 cm.             Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle: About 10° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             175A; towards the base, 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower:             About seven. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:             Narrowly oblong. Anther color: 182B. Filament length: About             6 mm. Filament color: N155A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: N172C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Terete; reflexed.             Stigma color: 51A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:             51A. Ovary color: 146B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal     Geraniums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been     observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from 4 to     40° C. and have good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Fisum Dark Salmon’, as herein illustrated and described. 